Designs: appearance and form

Other strategies

Domain and company namesYou should also consider whether you need to protect a domain or company name, so that you ensure full freedom to use that particular name and prevent others from using it. Check namesearch.no to see if both domain name, company name and trademark are available - all three in one search.

Business concepts and ideasA business idea, concept or method may in principle not be registered as either a patent, trademark or design, but marketing law may give some protection against the copying of such concepts and where others try to take advantage of your efforts.

SecrecyYou may also choose to protect your invention or process by keeping them secret. If you choose this strategy it is important to have good agreements with any partners who need to have insight into the business, so you avoid unwanted copying or trade secrets going astray.

CopyrightThe term copyright refers to the intellectual ownership of a literary and artistic work, for example a piece of music, a book, a painting, hand made artefacts, or a film. You obtain copyright to an intellectual work the moment you create it.

We can help you

You can contact us at the Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) if you have questions concerning what type of protection is right for you or your company. Ring our Customer Service Centre at +47 22 38 73 00 and talk to an adviser or a case officer. You are also welcome to visit us at our premises in Oslo.

Professional advisers

A professional patent agency or patent attorney can help you prepare and formulate your patent application and follow up important deadlines and payments, such as annual fees. Patent agencies are experts on all types of intellectual property rights, including trademarks, designs and IPR strategies.Check list of professional advisers on IPRhjelp.no (in Norwegian)

Other organisations and institutions

Innovation Norway, Research Council of Norway, Design and Architecture Norway, Siva's network of clusters, incubators and catapult centres etc. can help you with your business strategy or offer you financial aid.See "Start and run a business" at the Altinn portal

Cases - learn from others

Learn more about how other businesses safeguard their ideas and technology.See more cases

Vestre

Vestre is an innovative furniture producer that has great respect for the rights of its designers. No one is to be allowed to take a free ride on the work of others.

«The most effective way in which we can prevent illegal imitations is to register designs and trademarks for all products.»Read more about Vestre

Fimbulvetr

"Safeguarding rights is a necessary tool with which to protect the innovation and tell the world that this is a completely new way of producing snowshoes."Read more about Fimbulvetr

Courses and seminars

Learn more - take a course

We offer courses on patenting, trademarks, designs and other associated subjects. We have courses for beginners and professionals. The majority of our courses are held in Norwegian, although we do offer some specialist courses in English.See our course calendar

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